Plant-protector.



A. G. MOADIE.

PLANT PROTECTOR.

. APPLICATION FILED AUG.16,.1909.

947,5 1 9. Patented Jan. 25, 1910.

Inventor Vffmesses: Alexander fiM /ldfe ALEXANDER G. McADIE, OF SANFRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

PLANT-PROTECTOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 16, 1909.

Patented Jan. 25, 1910.

Serial No. 513,159.

(DEDICATED TO THE PUBLIC.)

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER G. M0- Anin, an employee of the Departmentof Agriculture of the United States of America, residing at SanFrancisco, California, whose post-ollice address is San Francisco,California, have invented a new and useful in'ipiiwement in a,Plant-Protector for Fruit-Trees, Flowers, and other Plants from Frost.

This application is made under the act of March 3, 1883, chapter 143Stat, 625), and the invention herein described and claimed may be usedby the Government of the United States or any of its officers oremployees in the prosecution of work for the Government, or any personin the United States, without payment to me of any royalty thereon.

My invention relates to a cover for the protection of fruit trees,flowers, and other plants from frost, and I describe it as an anti-frostcover.

The object of my invention is to provide a cheap and inexpensive devicefor covering flowers, garden truck, and small fruit trees so as toprevent injury thereto from frost. The principle of my invention is toprevent heat loss to plants and fruit trees by radiation. In order toprevent such heat loss to plants and fruit trees, I employ in myinvention a double cover made of suitable waterproof and weatherproofpaper or cloth, with an intervening non-conducting air space. Thepurpose of this double cover with an intervening non-conducting airspace is to prevent the escape of the long heat waves from the groundand thus retain the desired warmth within the tent for the benefit ofthe plants and fruit trees requiring protection. This object may be saidto be perfectly accomplished by the use of my invention.

The nature, characteristic features, and scope of my invention will bemore readily understood from the following description, taken inconnection with the accompanying drawing, forming a part hereof, whereinFigure 1, is a perspective view of my invention; and Fig. 2, is a detailview partly in section showing the intervening nonconducting air space.

Referring to the drawing, A represents the paper or tent covering whichis preferably made of asphalt sheathing paper,

such as is ordinarily used on the walls of l'iuildings, of black color,and of waterproof quality. This asphalt sheathing paper is cut intostrips of the desired length. Two of such strips, one placed over theother, are separated at intervals of four feet by laths, B. 'lherefore,in a strip twenty feet long, there will be six laths, one at each endand four at equal distances. The laths, B, run crosswise the length ofthe strip or covering, A. The paper or covering, A, is fastened to thelaths, B, by ordinary tacks, C, and tin caps. The tacks, C, are drivenon both sides of the paper or covering, A, into the laths, B, and ifsix-07.. tacks are used, there will be no danger of injury to the paperby the points.

I do not confine myself to the use of asphalt sheathing paper, but anydesirable paper or cloth may be used for the purposes indicated.Furtherniore, it may be sometimes more convenient and satisfactory tocement the laths and paper by using a cement or adhesive compound. \Vhenthe two layers of paper are thus arranged, the same are separatet'l bythe thickness of a lath, vim, approximately one-quarter of an inch,thereby permitting an air space, D, of this thickness between the twolayers of paper, as shown in Fig. 2. The laths, B, project severalinches on either side of the paper covering, A, and bent galvanized wirestaples, E, are looped around the projecting ends of the laths, B, andafter the paper covering, A, is placed in the proper position forprotecting the plants or fruit trees, the two ends of the wire staples,E, are placed in the ground. and the paper cover is thereby held firmlyin place over the plant at the desired height above the ground.

My invention is constructed in rolls or long strips which can be easilycarried. in practice, a roll or strip approximately one hundred feetlong and three feet wide is carried to the bed intended to be covered,where it is unrolled and left in the desired position over night. henthe plant. protector is not in use, the wire staples, l), are removed,and the plant protector may be folded or rolled up so as to occupy butlittle space.

My invention is also adapted for the protection of fruit trees. Tn usingthe plant protector for protecting fruit trees, it is only necessary tounroll and spread one or more rolls of the covering under the treeintended to be protected, preferably before sunset, While the ground ismoderately Warm, and then remove such covering from under the tree aboutfour oclock in the morning. The purpose of using the covering in themanner indicated is to retain the earths heat from the tree until suchhour as it is most needed. When the covering is removed, the earths heatbeing no longer intercepted, ascends to Warm the foliage and fruit ofthe tree.

The use of serviceable material in my invention, Weather-proof qualityand of suitable color, serves to prevent loss of heat by slowconduction, and the formation of con vectional air currents at thesurface of the ground. Its use reduces to a minimum the loss of heatduring the night hours, and also serves as a screen and non-conductorduring the hour of sunrise to prevent a too rapid Warming up of theground and consequent injury to plant tissue resulting from such rapidheating.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A plant protector consisting of suitable Waterproof paper, arrangedin double layers and held between by a plurality of laths separated atintervals, an intervening air space between said layers for preventingthe passage of heat, means for holding the said plant protector in afixed position for retaining heat Waves from the ground, and adapted tobe folded and carried, substantially as specified.

2. A plant protector consisting of an outer layer of suitable Waterproofcloth and an inner layer of Waterproof cloth held between by a series oflaths separated at intervals, an intervening air space between saidouter and inner layers for intercepting the passage of heat, means forholding said protector in a fixed position for retaining heat Waves fromthe ground, and adapted to be folded and carried, substantially asspecified.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature in the presence of twosubscribing Witnesses.

ALEXANDER G. MOADIE.

